Tobacco-stemming machine



H. F. RICHTER.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHHJE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1.191s. RENEWED MM" 12 1919.

jPatented July 20, 1920.

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TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 916- RENEWED MAY l2. 1919. 1,347,404.Patented July 20, 1920.

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fd Ly E H. F. RICHTER. TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I. 1916- RENEWED MAY 12.1919.

Patented July 20, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

HANS F. RICHTER, E WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, AssIGNoR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, -To R. J. REYNOLDS 'ToBAcco COMPANY, or WINSTON-SALEM,NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATIO OF NEW JERSEY.

TOBACCO-STEMMING MACHINE.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed July 1, 1916, Serial No. 107,119. Renewed May 12,1919. Serial No. 296,536.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HANS F. RICHTER, ofWinston-Salem, in the county of F orsyth and State of North Carolina,have invented stem gripping and drawing rolls.

certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Stemming Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved tobacco stemming machinehaving the general characteristics of that disclosed in my companionapplication for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No.

93,952, filed April 27, 1916.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-Figure 1, is a rear view of so much of the machine as is necessary foran understanding of the present invention. Fig. '2, is a front View. Fig. 3, is a vertical section. Fig. 4, is a detailed cross section in theplane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a cross sectionthrough the stationary bearings of the gripping rolls. Fig.

' 6 is a cross section through the leaf conveyer fectively grasp thestems of tobacco leaves,

and feed them transversely. to the travel of the leaves as theyareconveyed by the conveyer belts. In this way, the stem gripping rollsdraw the stems from the blades of the leaves which are held and conveyedby the conveyer. This action is fully described A in the aforesaidcompanion application.

thick, tou'gh stalks enter between the separated tapered ends ofthe stemgripping;

jg,flchoke or injure It occasionally happens that the tobacco leaveshave not en separated by the farm'- er from the stalks, of the tobaccoplants. In such cases, it sometimes occurs that the rolls C and D and clthe machine. To obvi injuring,- one of the stem 'gripping mounted in ayielding bearing.

in the drawing the lower stem gripping roll D, is rotatabl to suchclogging or rolls is s shown ,work T of the machine. mounted at one endin a bearing E. T is hearing E is located and maintained in place in aframe F, having on its front s1de a removable plate G. The

bearing E has a limited vertical movement within the frame which issufiicient to perengagement of the driving gears H and I.

he bearing E is maintained against endwise movement within the frame Fbmeans of a fixed pin J, carried by plate ,(x, which enters a verticalslot K, in the bearing E, this slot permitting the vertical movement ofthe bearing.

The bearing E is maintainedwuplifted by a stifi'sprlng L. This spring.is stiff enough to maintain the lower stem gripping roll D 1n properworking position with respect to the upper stem gripping roll C duringthe stemming actlon; but it yields under-the excessive strain due to theentrance of stalks between thestem gfipping rolls. As illustrated, thespring 1s of rubber. It is located between plates M and N. A'bolt 0passes through the said plates and the rubber spring and is secured atits upper end to the bottom of the frame F. The

by a nut P, by means ofwhich also the tension of the spring can beregulated. Between the upper plate M and the bearing E are two pins Q,which rest on plate M, pass through holes in the bottom of the frame F,and bear against the bottom of the bearing spring L is transmitted tothe bearing E. This yielding apart of the stem gripping rolls not onlyprevents injury and in the event of plantstalks entering the rolls butalso in case any; hard foreign matter enters between them.

Theouter free ends of thetaperin'g stem gripping rolls are separate andopen to permit the introduction of the stems; In order that these endsof the stem gripping rolls may be maintained in proper relatlon to eachother without separation-due to the strain of thelwork done, each rollhas a cylindrical journal R at its outer end which fits against a''curved open thrust bearing S,

which is adjustably mounted on the frame ings S not only prevent theseparation of the free ends ofthe stem gripping rolls but D plates M andN, and the spring'L, are maintained in place The thrust bear- ,E.Through these pins the pressure of the clogging also serve as bearingsagainst which the outer ends of the stem gripping rolls rotate. Thesethrust bearings are open on their facing sides: That is to say, onebearing R, is

above the outer journal of the roller 0, and

the other thrust bearing R, is below the outer journal of the roller D.Hence no part of the thrust bearings interfere with the entrance ofthestems between the rolls and the thrust bearings can be adjusted aftersaid rolls are mounted in the machine.

A portion of the stem nearthetip end of the bearing for the roll and theknurled or roughened portion. This knife U cooperates with a soft metalanvil V inserted in the lower stem gripping roll D between its knurledportion and its bearlng and so located that. when the knife U is at thebottom of the roll 0 (as shown in Fig. 6) the anvil V is immediatelybeneath it. Accordingly, when a stem has been fed past the knurledportions of the two stem gripping rolls (as the result of the leafconveying movements of the conveyer belts) it will be cut off by theconjoint action of the knife U and the anvil V. More than one knife andone anvil may be employed. 4

The nurling or roughening of the rolls is, spirally arranged asillustrated in the drawings so as to have a feeding action on the stemsto carry them lengthwise of the rolls concurrently with the Withdrawalof the stems from the leaves in a direction at right angles to thelength of the rolls as the result of the gripping action of the rolls.

.,The spiral nurling or roughening of the rolls extends-throughout theirgripping surfaces sothat their feeding tendenc continues as long as thegripping action asts.

1. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of stemgripping rolls, one of said rolls having a knife and 'the other anopposing anvil for cutting across the stems, said knife and anvil beinglocated at the terminus of the gripping surfaces of the rolls, and atraveling leaf conveyer which feeds the leaves and stems lengthwise ofthe rolls. and brings the stems into position to be cut by the knife.

2. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of stemgripping rolls, one of said rolls having a knife for cutting across thestems, said "knife being located at the terminus of the grippingsurfaces of the rolls, and a traveling leaf conveyer which feeds theleaves and stems lengthwise of the rolls and brings the stems intoposition to be cut by the knife.

- 3. A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a traveling leafconveyer and a pair of stem gripping rolls having knurled or roughenedsurfaces to enhance their grip upon the stems, the nurling or rougheningextending spirally throughout the gripping surfaces of the rolls for thepurpose of aiding in feeding the stems lengthwise. of the rolls as theleaves are advanced along the rolls by the conveyer.

L A tobacco stemming machine having, in combination, a pair of stemgripping rolls journaled at their inner ends and having separated andspaced cylindrical ends constituting outer journals for said rolls,

and fixed thrust bearings for said cylindrical ends, said bearings beingopen on their facing sides. I

5. tobacco stemming machine having rotating gripping rollers gearedtogether, in combination with a movable bearing for one of said rolls,means for limiting the movement of said bearing so as to preventdisengagement of the gears, a frame in which said movable bearing ismounted, a bolt fastened to one wall of said frame, a plate movable onsaid bolt, pins extending through.

the wall 'ofsaid frame and between said movable plate and said movablebearing, a second plate carried by said bolt in normally fixed position,and a stiff spring surrounding said bolt and interposed between saidplates.

In witness whereofI have hereunto signed my name.

HANS F. RICHTER.

